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Posts Tagged ‘poetry’

Poetry Postcard: Traveller

Posted in Perth City, Poetry, Poetry Postcards, tagged FMF:PoetryPostcards, Frances Macaulay Forde, Perth City, PerthWA, poetry on July 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

#FrancesMacaulayForde #FMF:PoetryPostcards #PerthWA #Airport #Skyline #Immigration #JumboJet

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Quote of the Day: Anais Nin

Posted in nature, Poetry, WA Writers, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, poetry, TastingLifeTwice, Toodyay on July 25, 2014| 2 Comments »

‘We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.’
Anais Nin

A Facebook friend (thanks Jennifer Mars) reminded me of this favorite quote, so I thought I’d share an unpublished example from a book I’m working on called “Tasting Life Twice”.

Yellow Days

Driving through Toodyay in late August

before Spring arrives officially

yellow makes me smile

Broome just opening

dotted with hives

flavouring the honey

and signs: ‘Beware Bees’

Field undulating through hills

no straight lines

sewn to follow dips

valleys and creeks

and around trees

Canola makes me smile

field waiting to be seeded

purple spikes take advantage

of a clear run to the sun

Far hills painted Ochre

as we enter another Shire

splash of blue Leschenaultia

Some giant brush has been busy

Soon Spring will show

its finished painting

England’s fields are patchworks

Here in Western Australia

we let the land and trees

decide the design

#FrancesMacaulayForde #TastingLifeTwice

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Bar of Grief

Posted in Books, KINDLE Books, Poetry, tagged BOOK: Hidden Capacity, eBOOK: Return Of Rainbows, Frances Macaulay Forde, POEM: Bar of Grief, poems, poetry, poetry in Western Australia, writer, writing on July 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Upturned bottles once lined with military order

on dusty, termite-rotten shelves. Fingerprints,

clear spaces of use, caught by the shafts of daylight

through pin-holes where nails have been.

A puddle of spilt pain, beneath an upturned bench.

Life, wasted in boozy stench lies forgotten,

punished for excess, while determined creatures

march with hunger towards rotten snacks.

Dirt’s secret world survives in semi-darkness.

Corrugated walls, rusting-red and brown. Drips

where rain had been, left tracks as if guiding

to the next place. A dark, dank, mud-bed

suitable for long soft round things

to slither and slide through eyes now closed.

Still focused on nightmare dreams, gone before.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #POEMBarOfGrief #BOOKHiddenCapacity #eBOOKReturnOfRainbows

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So sad…

Posted in Africa, Books, Poetry, Writing, tagged Africa, Airline Tragedy, Frances Macaulay Forde, poetry on July 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

In the light of terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with the families of passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airliner shot down today.

When will we learn to care about each other, again?

I thought I’d share a poem written when I was eighteen, in Africa and thinking of other wars many years ago.

It seems the world doesn’t change and we never learn…

ON MY SHELF

No-one knows me, no-one cares

as I lonely through my window stare.

Observing the world all by myself

Sitting alone on my own little shelf.

I watch and judge the world and its ways

never taking part in it’s little plays.

Though some are bad and some are good

some of them I’ve never really understood.

Yes, I disagree with many moves

why can’t this world just learn to love ?

Do without wars and fighting – we should –

but somehow, do you think we ever could ?

The needless waste of human lives

The sorrow of a family that’s deprived

(of their loved ones).

How unfair it seems that some should have

and others are left to scrimp and save.

How beautiful and rich some lands and

others consist only of sky and sand.

One day the world will right itself

while I sit, left alone on my shelf.

#Frances Macaulay Forde

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The Return of Rainbows.

Posted in Books, KINDLE Books, McAlpine Bell Publishing, Poetry, WA Writers, Writing, tagged BOOK: Return of Rainbows, books, Frances Macaulay Forde, KINDLE BOOKS, McAlpine Bell Publishing, poetry, Poetry Chapbooks, poetry in Western Australia, WA Writers, writing on June 24, 2014| 2 Comments »

Still on the KINDLE kick, my latest upload (probably not available yet as still being processed) is another Poetry Chapbook ~ the third.

(I’ve just added two examples of poems from my ‘Love’ KINDLE uploaded over the weekend, just like I did for my ‘Rail Tales’ blog post.)

‘The Return of Rainbows’ was also conceived at University as a mature-age student bloodied by life’s battles and as always, finding succor in words.

My seemingly audacious presence provided lots of fodder to explore the constant challenges and effects of that experience on my life.

The Return of Rainbows

Driving down Alexander,

(early morning rush hour)

lecture on documentary film.

Eager for knowledge, I noted

low, broad bands of colour

spanning the sky above Uni.

Ignoring the grey clouds,

I welcomed the return

of rainbows to my life.

Instinct

There’s no place for love

at this time in my life.

I envy those who achieve

the balance of need.

Opportunities ignored

in the interest of safe-ness,

flying toward my ability’s

determined focus.

Children gone in their own

living-dreams direction,

lessons learnt and heeded.

My job’s complete.

Is this my way of avoiding

the ‘empty nest’ syndrome?

Gath’ring materials for comfort

as I settle into old age?

…

(I’m about to upload some short stories next.)

#ReturnOfRainbows #FrancesMacaulayForde #McAlpineBellPublishing

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‘Call Waiting’

Posted in Books, Hidden Capacity, Poetry, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Hidden Capacity, Jessica McCallum, Poem, POEM: Call Waiting, poems, poetry, poetry in Western Australia, words, writer, writing on June 3, 2014| 2 Comments »

‘Pauline’: Jessica McCallum 2002 #jessicamccallum #francesmacaulayforde

Call Waiting

I killed you!

I took away your power to insult.

Never again will your strident, insistent beeping
intrude on intimacies between friends.

No. I struck you off.

I pressed the buttons that devoured you.

I ended your reign of terror.

Then Pauline rang
‘A new baby? Wond….’

Beep – Beep! Beep – Beep!

You didn’t die!

From happy jubilation
brain switches,
buttons pressed,
retreating “Call me back.”

I lost the war.

I don’t blame Pauline.

Rudeness is forgiven under pressure
from the mighty “I wonder who it is?”

Someday I’ll explain
and continue my campaign
for courtesy.

I died a little.

Aren’t I important too?

(Another from my book “Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey”. )

#HiddenCapacity #francesmacaulayforde

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“My Car”

Posted in Books, Hidden Capacity, Poetry, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Hidden Capacity, Poem: My Car, poems, poetry, words, writer, writing on June 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Cover ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’ #francesmacaulayforde #HiddenCapacity

One from my book: ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poets journey’, Pub. 2003, Ireland.

My Car

Red used to be my favourite colour.

I’d just get Tinkerbell (my 1983 Mitsubishi Colt)

cruising nicely at sixty kilometres an hour

then red.

I’d have to slow down.

Pump the brakes.

Change gears gingerly in case her clutch drops out….

An old girl now, she needs TLC…

takes her time to build up speed,

then I see red. (Or orange.)

Bugger!

But, once she’s there (sixty K.’s) she sings like a bird.

I think it reminds her of her youth.

I’ve tried dressing her up (covering the rust).

The silvers don’t match and I know she feels the shame.

The petrol pump makes her feel better.

Once I insert that nozzle,

she almost smiles.

Her seat greets me tenderly

and we smoothly swing away,

high on fumes.

Yesterday,

a young man washed her windows.

She sparkled and purred.

Yes. Red used to be my favourite colour.

Now mottled shades of silver have loyal appeal!

#HiddenCapacity #francesmacaulayforde

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“My Life as a Sari”

Posted in Art, Dance, Love, Perth City, Poetry, Theatre, WA Writers, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Fremantle Press, Indigo Journals, Jessica McCallum, Poem, Poem: My Life as a Sari, poems, poetry, poetry in Western Australia, Western Australia, words, writer, writing on May 29, 2014| 1 Comment »

I love how sometimes a poem ends up taking you to all sorts of places you don’t expect.

‘Dance’ by Jessica McCallum at His Majesty’s Theatre, 2009. #jessicamcallumartist

My poem “My Life as a Sari” has appeared alongside beautiful artworks.

POETRY POSTCARD available from Jessica McCallum

An excerpt published on a postcard.

#IndigoJournal

And published in the INDIGO JOURNAL of West Australian Writing, Vol 3 published by INDIGO books and received lovely comments.

Fremantle Press have recently become on-line partners with the original publishers of the journals and have always been tremendous supporters of those who write in Western Australia, quietly promoting and encouraging new, emerging and established writers by putting their money where their mouth is.

As a result of my inclusion in the journal, Fremantle Press also interviewed me about my writing and particularly, this poem.

My Life as a Sari

Securely tuck your fears under elastic

at the centre of your waist with your left hand,

and with your right, hold the remaining

metres of spun silk – your future, facing inside.

Measure the drop of the fall

and it’s finely stitched edge

for correct positioning against heels.

Wrap yourself in the gossamer fold,

swirling the diaphanous film behind

but stay level and wedge the top border

into your petticoat.

Like a bride preparing herself,

you are now ready to pleat.

At a distance from the last fixing,

hand-measure the delicate veil,

embroidered with details

important to who you are

toward the middle of your body.

Some may need five pleats, some six.

Less is more. Another judgement held on show

– a statement of size, however graciously it moves.

Securely fix the perfumed fanning

and grasp what is left, bring it back around

to wrap warmly and return to the front.

These days, you can choose to gather all loose

ends onto your left shoulder, secured with a jewel.

But many prefer to throw the remainder

over, remembering to hold an arm half bent,

letting the end float freely – the beaded

edge skimming the inside of your wrist.

#francesmacaulayforde

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Miss you, Mum

Posted in Love, Poetry, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Mother's Day, Mum, poems, poetry, writing on May 10, 2014| 7 Comments »

I wish you could meet…

Pick flowers…

Knit them toys and jumpers…

Make cupcakes…

Have special conversations…

I try to be you, Mum – every day, for them.

To all the mums out there, have a really wonderful Mother’s Day.

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Grand-ies…

Posted in Children's stories, Love, Poetry, tagged Birth, Frances Macaulay Forde, grand kids, granddaughter, poetry, Western Australia on April 10, 2014| 3 Comments »

Sonja’s artwork. (4 1/2 years old)

My brother is meeting his 1st grandchild in Sydney today, but isn’t allowed to go too close because he sneezed before getting on the flight!

Birth

I held you to my

breast – now calm

and gently, with my

forefinger, caress

-ed your tiny arm.

And today, I got a call from my son to say that his littlest is in the Children’s Hospital with a lung infection! I wanted so much to go straight to her bedside and give lots of cuddles, to make sure she gets better. But that’s my son and her mum’s job – not mine!

Sometimes it’s really hard to stand back. They are wonderfully capable, hands-on parents to their two beautiful little girls, so as requested I will go and spend tomorrow with my older granddaughter until they come home. After Sonja’s Swimming Lesson, we’ll do some painting – always the first question after “Hello, Nanna!”